Blagojevich to miss ‘Celebrity’ gig

Would-be reality star denied bail request

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s reality TV aspirations have been put on hold.

A U.S. District Court judge has denied Blagojevich’s request to modify the conditions of his bail, in order to travel to Costa Rica and appear as a contestant this summer on NBC’s “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!”

According to the Chicago Tribune, Judge James Zagel called Blagojevich’s attempt to join the show “a bad idea.”

Blagojevich’s lawyer had told the court that NBC and “I’m A Celebrity” producer Granada America would pay for a personal monitor, but Zagel said that the ex-gov — who faces several political corruption charges — needed to stick around and actually pay attention to the government’s case against him.

Before entering the hearing on Tuesday, Blagojevich told reporters that appearing on the reality show was “a way to earn a living and support my children,” according to the Tribune. “It’s not my first choice, but it’s a living.”